In yet another example of a rabid sports fan accused of bad behavior, a Michigan man is wanted by the FBI on suspicion of threatening to blow up the packed Mercedes-Benz Superdome during the New Orleans Saints' playoff victory over the Detroit Lions three weeks ago. And in a quirky coincidence, the suspect shares the same name as the Saints head coach, albeit with a different spelling.

Shawn Payton

Shawn Payton, 34, of Jackson, Mich., is wanted on suspicion of phoning in bomb threats during the Saints' stirring second-half comeback en route to a 45-28 victory Jan. 7.

Reached by phone Friday afternoon, Payton, a lifelong Lions fan, admitted making the threatening calls and apologized to Saints fans.

"I'm not a bad person. I was just so proud of the Lions finally making the playoffs for the first time in God knows how long," he said. "I got caught up in the heat of the moment, and I seriously, highly regret making those calls."

A few minutes after tight end Jimmy Graham caught a Drew Brees touchdown pass to extend the Saints lead to 24-14 in the third quarter, the Superdome's Gate F reception desk received a threatening call at 9:12 p.m., according to an FBI affidavit filed in federal court Wednesday.

"I will blow up your building," a man said after confirming that he had reached the Superdome, which was jammed with a capacity crowd of more than 73,000.

As the Saints continued lighting up the scoreboard, a second threatening call came in at 10:03 p.m., with a message intended for Saints coach Sean Payton, according to the affidavit by FBI agent Dawn Hofmann, a member of the agency's Joint Terrorism Task Force.

View full sizeRusty Costanza, The Times-Picayune archiveFootball fans line up before the New Orleans Saints' wild card playoff game against the Detroit Lions at the Superdome on Jan. 7.

"Hi, I want you to relay a message to the sideline. If your stupid Southern team keeps winning, there will be reper...severe consequences. OK?" a man said after a failed Lions onside kick set the Saints up for a short touchdown drive that would ice the game.

FBI agents used phone records to trace the calls to Shawn H. Payton, a Michigan native who moved back to his home state in November after living in Huntsville, Ala., according to the four-page affidavit.

Interviewed Monday by a Detroit-based FBI agent, Payton listened to recordings of the calls and admitted making them, the affidavit said.

"Payton stated he never meant any harm in making the calls and would never do anything to hurt anyone," the affidavit said. "Payton relayed some ongoing personal problems, saying his anger got the better of him while watching the game."

Until he was informed by a reporter, Payton said he was unaware that a warrant had been issued for his arrest on charges of making threatening phone calls.

"I'm scared," he said. "I hope they realize that I didn't mean it and that I'm taking steps to get counseling."

Payton said alcohol wasn't a factor in the calls, which he said he made after Googling a number for the Superdome.

"I don't drink, and I don't do drugs. From time to time, I do get frustrated and go off without meaning it," he said. "I let some words fly out of my mouth, and I sincerely apologize. I will never ever, ever, ever do anything like that again."

Payton, who said he recently got a job as a McDonald's cook, said he's had a rough couple of years, starting with injuries suffered in a "near-fatal" car crash in 2009 that required four months of therapy before he could walk again. He said he's also in a long-distance battle with his daughter's mother in Alabama over visitation rights.

"It's been two years of anger and frustration, and this obviously hasn't helped," he said. "I really wish I could take it all back. I'm so sorry."

Payton's alleged bomb threats are the latest incident in a spate of criminal acts by over-exuberant sports fans.

An Alabama fan was arrested on sexual assault charges after he pressed his testicles on the neck of an unconscious LSU fan in a Bourbon Street burger joint after the Jan. 9 BCS Championship Game.

An argument over a Jan. 14 playoff game between the Saints and 49ers allegedly led to the shooting of two men in a restaurant parking lot in suburban Atlanta. And at the game itself, San Francisco police made 23 arrests, including a felony battery in which the victim suffered a broken nose.

Asked about his take on the seeming uptick in fan misbehavior, Payton said, "I guess I'm not the only one who needs counseling."